Black Walkthrough & Strategy Guide

Published: Jan 14, 2009

Basics

Exploding Bullets

Up against a lot of enemies and don't have any grenades? That's not always a problem. As long as you've got some bullets at your disposal then you've likely got a way to make something blow up. Lots of things around you are fully explodable and will detonate with just a few bullets. Look for things colored red, like crates and canisters, and also look for cars and large propane tanks. One huge explosion can often do the work of a hundred bullets, letting you conserve ammo and kill your enemies with wicked speed.

Instant Grenade Explosion

A group of lazy, chit-chatting enemies is one of the greatest gifts you can get in Black. They're just begging to be nailed by a grenade! Unfortunately for you, once they see that grenade they'll high-tail it for cover. Are you finding that it takes too long for your grenade to explode? There's something you can do about it!

You can instantly detonate a grenade by firing at it. Simply toss a grenade on the ground and shoot at it (doesn't have to be an exact hit) to cause an instant explosion. No longer will you have to wait for the fuse to run out, letting you more efficiently wipe out your enemies. But this technique isn't reserved just to grenades that've dropped on the ground. You can detonate a grenade while it's still airborne, letting you hit targets with an explosion that reaches further than your grenade toss.

Head Shots Are the Only Shots

In nearly all situations, you want to go for head shots. A head shot results in an instant kill against most enemies, as opposed to body shots which can take for-ever to drop a baddy. Because head shots are so vital, it's good to pick weapons with solid accuracy. Sub-machineguns are generally not as accurate as assault rifles, especially when it comes to long-range shooting.

Certain weapons, however, don't require head shots. The various shotguns of Black will generally drop an enemy in one shot no matter where you hit him. Similarly, sniper rifles will kill enemies instantly, even if you hit an arm. You also won't need to worry too much about your aim when using RPGs. Giant explosions tend to kill everything they touch.

Intelligently Arm Yourself

As you move through the many levels of Black, you'll have the option to pick up new and varying weapons to abet the extermination of baddies. Should you always grab the next big thing? In a word, no.

Try to keep a nice balance of strengths with the weapons you've got equipped. If you're using an AK-47 for mid- and long-range killing, there's really no point in having a second assault rifle equipped. Similarly, you don't want to be packing just a bunch of heavy explosives. If you've already got an RPG, don't bother grabbing the grenade launcher.

Generally, it's good to always have an assault rifle of some sort. Weapons like the AK-47 and the M16 are great all-purpose weapons that'll work well in both mid- and long-range combat. As a second weapon, it's good to have something that fits your surrounding. If you're moving through tight hallways and rooms, pack a shotgun for close-range gunning. If you're constantly on the lookout for enemy RPGs, bring along a sniper rifle so you can pick 'em off before they get you.

Take Cover

Though you may be able to push through the first level without much of that ol' strategery stuff, you'll find yourself hard pressed to move beyond the later levels if you don't get smart. Taking cover is absolutely vital to your success in Black. Find anything you can hide behind and only peek out to take quick head shots.

It's important to always keep something between you and the enemy. If you take a hit, note the direction from where it came and quickly find something to duck behind. In most cases, you can get behind cover and be completely invulnerable to enemy attacks, letting you reload your guns and plan out your next assault.